Demi Lovato Apologises After Receiving Backlash Over Visiting Israel: ‘This Was Not A Political Stance’
3 October 2019, 12:55
Demi Lovato has been on a spiritual journey in Israel in order to fill the “God-sized hole in her heart”.
Demi Lovato said she’s “never felt such a sense of spirituality or connection to God” as she did during her visit to Israel recently, using the trip to get baptised in “the same river as Jesus”.
The 27 year old shared a number of images from her visit with her 74.5 million Instagram followers, revealing she feels “renewed” after undergoing the religious ceremony.
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However, the star has faced backlash over her decision to visit the country and had to share a statement on Instagram Stories to apologise for offending anyone.
Many criticised Demi for promoting the country amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so she assured her fans her trip was not a political stance.
She wrote in a now-deleted statement: “I'm extremely frustrated. I accepted a free trip to Israel in exchange for a few posts. No one told me there would be anything wrong with going or that I could possibly be offending anyone. With that being said, I’m sorry if I’ve hurt or offended anyone, that was not my intention.”
Demi explained her venture was “meant to be a spiritual experience, not a political statement” and apologised for “not being more educated”.
The ‘Cool For The Summer’ singer added she was “going against advice” by apologising because she’d “rather get in trouble for being authentic to myself than staying quiet to please people.”
Hours before, Demi had shared a number of photos of her visit to Israel, revealing how much the experience had moved her – but she has since had to switch off her Instagram comments.
Alongside a series of snaps of her time in the country, Demi wrote: “I am an American singer. I was raised Christian and have Jewish ancestors. When I was offered an amazing opportunity to visit the places I’d read about in the Bible growing up, I said yes.”
The former Disney star added “there’s something magical about Israel”, detailing the connection she felt to God while travelling around the country, something she felt she’d “been missing for a few years”.
Adding how important spirituality is to her, Demi continued: “To be baptised in the Jordan river – the same place Jesus was baptised – I’ve never felt more renewed in my life.”
The pop star finished her note by saying how grateful she is “for the memories made” and “the opportunity to be able to fill the God-sized hole in my heart. Thank you for having me, Israel.”
In her series of uploads Demi posted a picture taken during her baptism and a number of snaps of herself exploring the city.
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